Northern Ireland: Thousands of pigs die in a fire

A fire has caused the deaths of thousands of pigs this week near Bessbrook, Co Armagh, Northern Ireland.

The case is still under investigation, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) stated that the fire occurred early on Saturday morning. The NIFRS believes there may be about 800 sows and 3,500 piglets that died. Carcasses of the sows and piglets were removed from the farm, while there were many pigs that were spared and survived the blaze.

The property owner has said that the number of pigs that died could be lower than what was stated by the NIFRS.

NIFRS added that he blaze may have been started as a deliberate act. However, the incident is still being investigated.